Journals

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Hi! I've just listed some more of my canvas pieces on Etsy. The first one below, took some thinking about, but I finally got it to look exactly how I wanted!

I titled this one "Blessings".....what more of a blessing than a mother's love to a child? I saw this picture recently of a mother and her child and wondered what I could do with it to turn it into something special. I got inspiration from the fact it shows a mother reading to her child. I've always read to my children, right from the time they were very small. I believe that if you read well, you learn well, and that reading is most often the number one basis of acquiring knowledge. However, reading is something that we shouldn't take for granted, although many of us tend to! In this way it reminds me of a mother's love.....a basic and fundamental thing that we all take for granted but would miss terribly if it ceased to be.

So, what do you think?!

It's strange how some pieces can come together quickly and some not so easily! This next collage just fell into being within a matter of minutes. I love the color mix on this one!

I called this one "Cherish". The definition quoted refers to nurturing and protecting. Another children theme.....don't we all love to nurture and protect the children in our lives?? If only we could all adopt this to one another too..........what a better world we could create if we did!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Hope, the thing that without which, most of us would struggle to get by! For no matter how tough life gets, it's hope for a better day, hope for a better future, and hope that maybe tomorrow will bring us a miracle, that helps us to get out of bed the next day!

On that note, I chose to make this next collage to remind myself that there's always Hope and that things could be so much worse. Life is tough for many at the moment and everyday I try to count my blessings rather than my problems! Sometimes it might seem as if the latter are more than the former, but in general, most of us have much to be thankful for.

I started with some scraps of paper I thought worked well together. I Mod-Podged a background piece of cardstock and then added the scraps on top.

The Mod-Podge acts as a glue and sealer all in one and dries clear. It's a fab product!

After it all dried, I attached the newly-made background to the painted canvas. I distressed and inked the "HOPE" caption to a piece of brown cardstock, which I duly inked around the edges to give it some definition. I finished it off by sealing it with a sealant to protect it from fading and dust!

I mounted the message on foam squares to raise it from the background and added a 3D butterfly embellishment to the top left-hand corner.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Hi! Another post about Christmas, I know, but with the school holidays now half over here in Florida, it won't be long before the first days of Fall appear...and then it's the quick slide down to December 25th!!!! GULP!

So....I've put all my Christmas themed items listed on Etsy, ON SALE! A whopping 20% off, and if you're like me and love to bag a bargain, then have a look at some samples below and then take the link beneath to visit my shop!

Here's some things to whet your appetite and get you in that warm, fuzzy Christmassy mood. Egg nog, anyone? :)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Hi! So at last....my pink and purple delight of a scarf is complete! Trouble is, I've fallen in love with the colors and the feel of this....not sure I can bear to sell it!!!

Here's the completed look of Mixed Berry:

....and here's a close-up to show the texture and multi-layered effect of this yarn. It's so warm and snuggly around your neck......ideal for chilly fall and winter nights....and yes!....we do have those in Florida!! :)

I've also been working on this scarf in two alternate colors. Here's a quick preview. The first is Creamy Dreamy!....soft, pretty and feminine!....

....followed by Harvest Sunset........pumpkins, pie and Halloween buzz into my mind when I see these colors together. My favorite time of the year......along with Christmas, of course! ;)

Check out my Etsy site if you wish to see more about these. Here's the link...

Monday, July 18, 2011

Hi all! Just wanted to let you know that one of my Christmas cards got featured on Etsy's "Celebrate Christmas in July" Treasury spot.

I can't tell you how excited and humbled I was!!!! :) ........of all those items listed on the Etsy website, one of mine was selected! Wahoo!!

Here's the card in question! I guess it is a bit different - it's in the style of a handbag! It opens and closes and opens again just like a real handbag (that's a "purse" for all those this side of the Atlantic!!!)

Have a look and see! There's more listed on my Etsy site too, so stop off and have a look around!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Hi everybody! I wanted to share with you my latest fait accompli! This little book has taken a while to put together but I think it's so cute! Just don't know any new little baby boys to give it to at present! :)

My love of scrapbooking has fast turned into more than a hobby! I wanted to be able to offer those who love the look of a home-made scrapbook but don't have the time to do their own, an opportunity to get that home-made look without all the hard work! What better way to start than with a mini-album.....but this one's hardly small on effect!

The result? - a 5 (double-sided) page scrapbook that will proudly display those first photos of the new baby! Each page is adorned with a variety of motifs, stickers, sentiments, embellishments, journal tags, inkings, photo mats.....and more! There's plenty of room to write all those first thoughts and comments. Tied off with a blue bow to keep it all together. Take a look!....

It did take some time to put together, but was fairly simple in design and execution! Just a matter of painting up a chipboard album in blue acrylic paint, designing each page in turn using blue cardstock as a base, adding all the embellishments, stickers and wot-nots(!) and then putting it all together! See - I said it was easy!!

Off to play with the next project!! See you soon!....and..........thanks for following!Wendy

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Hi all! Well, my cards are starting to get listed on Etsy although I've still more to add...most notably my Christmas collection! Did you know that this month celebrates Christmas in July?....I'm sure you do, but being English of birth, this was a recent revelation to me!!! There's always been "a thing" in Britain about "keeping Christmas in December" - the people at large over there feel it creeps forward just that little bit more every year!! This novel American concept of starting it all off in July certainly puts the kybosh on that tactic!!

Being a Christmas and "that time of season" lover....I just love it whenever it decides to come around! :)

Here's a sample of one of my cards. Doesn't it make you want to run out for Egg Nog already?!

Here's some of my tags......

How can you resist those penguins??.....even more so when it's in the 90s in Florida right now!!!

The rest of my "Christmas in July" stuff will find its way onto Etsy in the next couple of days. The link is :

Friday, July 8, 2011

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share with you my ongoing project! It's one of those things I work on when it's quiet at night and I've finally found some time to sit in front of the tv!

I fell in love with this yarn when I discovered it in the UK all those years back, before I left to move to Florida. It's soft, fluffy and traps the air so keeps you incredibly warm! I figured it would make a fab scarf, so gave it a go!

I first started out with a brown and cream color variation, which I still wear some 6 years later! As you can see, this one is a wonderfully warm mix of purples with a dash of pink. So far, I reckon I'm about two thirds completed - it will be some 48" long when finished.

As you can see, this yarn is very fine and has metallic fibers in it to give it a sheen. It also has tissue-thin fabric eyelashes which give it that chunky look. I think it's a darling yarn and although a little fiddly to work with, it works up looking divine!

I've also got one completed in a cream and blush-pink color combination. All soon to be added to Etsy, if you want to check them out!

Hi everybody! I wanted to share with you my latest piece of work. Whilst it's not celebrating a new arrival in my immediate family ;-) they say that on average there are 245 babies born every minute in the US, so somebody must be celebrating right this minute....and the next minute.....and the next!

As before, collage on canvas but this time with more of a scrapbook feel to it! For those scrapbook and paper enthusiasts among us, this one is totally for you!

So, how did I do it?!

As before, I used an 8"x10" canvas, stapled on the back. I used pink and white acrylic paints to create a stippled effect on the sides of the canvas - this should prevent the need for framing.

I then created a paper background by collaging various pieces of pink paper, some with hearts, some with flowers, some with cute girl phrases.

I added stamped pictures of a stork - well, it is a new baby after all! - and also stamped pictures of those cute little onesies!!

I mod-podge'd all this together and let it dry.

Well, they say patience is a virtue, but when creative ideas get into your head it's hard finding the patience to wait until that mod-podge dries before you can move to the next step! :-)

Satisfied it was finally dry, I tacky glue'd it onto the canvas.

I added scrunched tissue paper and a pink hearts ribbon to the lower edge, affixing a pink safety pin to the center.

I used collage stickers to create the title, "Baby Girl" and added a matching sticker of a monkey....aren't all little girls as cute as this little monkey???......or maybe they just grow into cheeky little monkeys! :-)

I added a photo mat to the center of the canvas so that a 6"x4" first baby photo could be included.

Final touches included a tag detailing "SHH....baby sleeping", pink sparkle butterfly to which I added pink pearls to decorate and collage flowers as corner accents.

ET VOILA!

I must admit, this turned out cute! Going to work on a baby boy one too!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I've been wondering what to get for my mum for her birthday! Whatever I do get has to be shipped to the UK and usually takes an age to get there via snail mail!! I figured she'd probably like something made from the heart - and with a ton of love thrown in! So, here it is!

Here's hoping she doesn't see this before it arrives!!!

It's my first attempt at "collage on canvas" and it's come out even better than I'd hoped! Here's how I did it!

I chose a 8"x10" canvas and painted the edges and about 1" onto the front with acrylic paint. This saves you having to frame it and means it can be hung directly onto the wall or displayed straight on an easel.

I then took some cream cardstock with words already printed on it.

I inked the paper with Ranger Distress Inks to create that faded-out distressed look. I chose ink colors that pick-up tones in the picture of the lady.

Next was to decide on the centre-piece for the collage. The lady was a collage picture I picked up from Michaels previously and seemed elegant and quintessentially Old English!

I looked hard to find a quote that summed up being a mother. I thought this one was just great! I love it!! I also inked the edges of the paper which I'd rough-torn and smudged the ink over the words to make it look aged.

I die-cut some cardstock letter tags using my Cuttlebug, removed the letters themselves and back-mounted cream card to make the letters pop out on the page.

I mod-podge'd all this together with a good three coats and left it to dry.

I then glued it to the canvas using Tacky Glue and patiently (!) waited for it all to dry before I could add the final embellishments.

Once dry, I added tonal stick-on pearls to the letter tags, a metal "Cherish" tag and metallic squares at each corner to finish the design.

I'm so pleased with how it's come out!

Hope you enjoyed this! I loved making it and plan to do more!

Check out my Etsy site for the craft stuff I have on sale! I'm starting small but believe that "From Small Acorns, Big Oak Trees Grow".....or something like that!!

WELCOME!

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to visit! Have a wander around and look at some of my work. If you take a minute to read through my step-by-step techniques posts, you'll see how my work comes together to create the perfect finished item!

About Me

Hi! My name is Wendy and I am the sole crafter behind Distinctly Crafted. I am English by birth, having relocated to Bradenton, Florida some few years ago. I was promised sun and good times on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida and so far, I have not been disappointed! I love to craft and am keen to try many different techniques and applications. Paper seems to be my main focus, although I also love to knit! I just wish I had more time to dedicate to my art....but I don't seem to be doing too badly at the moment! :)